On December 15 Mr Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, received the delegation headed by RA NA Speaker Mr Hovik Abrahamyan in Beijing. The RA Ambassador to China Mr Armen Sargsyan attended the meeting.

Mr Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, expressed satisfaction for receiving in Beijing the presentable delegation headed by the Speaker of the National Assembly. As he assessed, the visit will become an impetus for the development of the relations between two countries.

NA Speaker Mr Hovik Abrahamyan expressed gratitude to Mr Bangguo for the invitation and warm reception. The NA Speaker noted that in May the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China was expected in Yerevan, but the disastrous earthquake in China did not allow Mr Bangguo to leave the country. Mr Abrahamyan expressed hope that the aftermath of the earthquake was underway to be overcome as the government of China made big efforts for helping those who suffered. The NA Speaker noted that the aftermath of the disaster imagine well in Armenia, as the 1988 earthquake, the 20^th anniversary was marked on December 7, caused casualties of thousands of people and destructed a lot of buildings.

Mr Abrahamyan thanked for the support shown to Armenia from China. Touching upon the events of 2008 the NA Speaker noted that the Beijing Olympic Games would still remain long in the memory of the sport fans: the Olympic Games were held at high level, reflecting in a best way the Olympic spirit. Mr Abrahamyan considered natural the unprecedented success of the Chinese national team. Conveying the greetings and good wishes of the President of the Republic of Armenia Mr Serzh Sargsyan to the President of the People’s Republic of China Mr Hu Jintao, the NA Speaker asked him to pass the invitation of the official visit to Armenia too. Mr Abrahamyan underlined that beginning from the historical past of the Armenian and Chinese peoples the traditional friendly relations continue in our days. That witness the political dialogue and the mutual visits at high level, the consistent expansion of mutual cooperation and deepening in social-political, economic, scientific-cultural spheres. The cooperation and mutual support at international level deepened the confidence of the parties. The NA Speaker highlighted the joint projects being implemented in the spheres of chemistry, energy, agriculture, science and technique, defensive culture and science. Noting that during the past years China constantly supported the economic development of our country: the annual aid of the Government of the People’s Republic of China promotes the development of the social-economic of the country, the NA Speaker expressed his gratitude to the leadership of China. Touching upon the inter-parliamentary relations Mr Abrahamyan highlighted that the parliamentary friendship groups function in two parliaments and expressed his support regarding the activation of their activity. It was underlined that Armenia especially emphasized the consecutive development of the friendship and cooperation with the People’s Republic of China, which had big potential, taking into account the opportunities of two countries. In the conditions of the world financial crisis the disclosure of new opportunities of cooperation was stressed , which would promote the softening of the influence of the crisis. The NA Speaker highly assessed the effective work of the ambassadors of the two countries. Mr Abrahamyan expressed willingness for promoting the development of the inter-parliamentary relations, ensuring that the relations between the parliaments make more recognizable and understandable each other to the people. He invited to Armenia Mr Wu Bangguo on an official visit.

Expressing gratitude Mr Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China for good wishes and invitation directed to the President of the People’s Republic of China, noted that he would convey the NA Speaker’s invitation to the President of the People’s Republic of China Mr Hu Jintao. Mr Wu Bangguo also confirmed his wish to officially visit Armenia, which had been canceled because of the earthquake. He stressed the Cooperation Declaration signed by two Presidents in 2004, after which the relations began to develop. The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China highly assessed the mutual understanding and mutual confidence between two countries. He highlighted that the rapidly developing cooperation records good results also in the sphere of economy., in particular last year the goods turnover between the two countries was 90m USD, and the growth of trade was 51%. Mr Wu Bangguo highly assessed the cooperation in the spheres of energy, mining industry. In order to boost the economic cooperation the Chinese Government provided Armenia on a gratis basis 15m yuan. Noting that Armenia is a reliable partner for China, the development of relations with which is highlighted, Mr Wu Bangguo touched upon the necessity of making closer the inter-parliamentary relations. He believed that the visit put higher the inter-parliamentary relations at a new level and would ensure good dynamics for their development in different levels with the inclusion of committees, friendship groups and staffs. He expressed satisfaction that within the programme of NA Speaker’s official visit Hainan province was included, which is well known for its rapidly developing industry in the spheres of chemistry, machinery, oil industry, tourism. During the visit programmes of creating joint ventures can be elaborated.

During the meeting the sides touched upon also regional problems, stating the wish of further cooperation.

At the meeting RA NA Speaker Mr Hovik Abrahamyan and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China Mr Wu Bangguo signed a memorandum on mutual understanding, cooperation and exchange of experience, ensuring the willingness of cooperation of friendly relations' development.  Noting that the inter-parliamentary relations are an important component in the memorandum, the activation of the contacts on parliaments is highlighted in the bilateral and multilateral format, which promotes the strengthening of mutual understanding and confidence the development of cooperation between the countries. The memorandum asserts the willingness further deepening of consultations and agreement of positions in bilateral and international relations. The memorandum highlights also the deepening of the ties of the committees of the two parliaments, the exchange of law-making experience in the spheres of trade-economy, agriculture, energy, education, culture and environment, the development of relations of the friendship groups, which will promote to make closer the contacts between the parliamentarians of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China.

The memorandum also affirms the importance of the cooperation of the staffs of two parliaments: in the direction of parliamentary activity and coordination of the exchange of effective experience information and adding each other the cooperation of the parliaments in international relations is stressed, holding frequent meetings and consultations of the delegations in international structures. The Speakers of the two parliaments highlighted the signing of the memorandum, which was the first document between the two parliaments and opened a new page of cooperation in inter-parliamentary relations.